Current Exhibitions

2018 Exhibitions

The Houston Museum of African American Culture is proud to present another year of engaging exhibitions and programming for the diverse Houston community to enjoy.

Over There Some Place

February 3rd - April 14th

An exhibition of works by emerging artists in Houston, Texas curated by Dominic R. Clay. The artists featured are Vernon Akili, Blake Bean, Mack Bishop, Lee Carrier, Lakita Costner, Christie Leday, Romeo Clay Robinson and Farrah Smith. The work on view presents the idea of deference within the African Diaspora from a southern perspective. Each artist work incorporates contextual ideas of identity through their own practicing mediums.

Cohesive yet ambiguous, the title of Over There Some Place derives from a sculptural piece created by Houston native artist and Rome Prize Winner Bert Long, Jr. in 1987. Over There Some Place is an important homage to African American identity and the result of geological displacement. In spite of the separation of land and language, these artisans will celebrate the Diaspora through their chosen artistic discipline.

Democracy

July 28th - December 15th

Democracy underscores the fact that in America our primary remedy for societal inequities and hatred that in·dif·fer·ence highlights is through the democratic process of voting. Using a re-creation of the state office of former state representative now Mayor Sylvester Turner, we ask our audience to imagine what would they say to the individual sitting behind that desk and /or what they would do if they sat in that chair. Through video of local leaders using their voices to challenge inequities, Democracy hopes to inspire a generation to see the democratic process as a useful tool in combatting indifference, inequality and inequity.

"Sandra Bland"

February 3rd - February 28th

EXTENDED to April 28, 2018

Sandra Bland” curated by HMAAC CEO John Guess, Jr., is an interactive engagement allowing visitors to experience the emotions of Sandra Bland on the fateful day of her arrest, July 13, 2015 resulting from a traffic stop in Waller County.

A widely received Stanford University study last year found police officers across the United States more likely to cite, search and arrest black and Latino drivers during routine traffic stops than white drivers. Not only did the study find minorities are ticketed and arrested more often, it also found that police in general will use a lower bar to search minorities than whites.

Blacks are familiar with "the talk," foreign to most whites, given to black youth with regard to how to act during encounters with police. This exhibit vividly underscores the basis for ‘the talk;’ the fear that the wrong use of words during encounters with police, which the Stanford study found more likely for minorities, can lead to escalation and result in tragedy.

in·dif·fer·ence

July 28th - December 15th

in·dif·fer·ence underscores the notion that the indifference of good men and women is inaction, and that inaction breeds further injustice. The installation examines the extent to which statements by Donald Trump have exacerbated racial tensions and animosities in America, the extent to which police interactions with people of color are defined by a narrative of abuse and injustice, and the seeming indifference of conservatives and liberals alike and their inaction appears to be resulting in a turning back of the clock on racial equality.

A Burning House

(formerly Nawlins) Ti Rock Moore

November 17, 2018 -January 12, 2019

A Burning House takes as its point of departure an historic conversation between colleagues and activists Harry Belafonte and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during which King expresses his fears: “We have fought hard and long for integration, as I believe we should have, and I know that we will win. But I've come to believe we're integrating into a burning house.” Passionate, gregarious, and larger-than-life, Ti-Rock Moore delves into her home roots of New Orleans to present a poignant picture of race and white privilege. Her extremely timely message about race resonates far past her hometown, on multiple levels speaking to us as individuals, as communities, as a society and as a country..